Vriesea plant named ‘V800-1’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Vriesea  cultivar named ‘V800-1’ is disclosed, characterized by red and green foliage, a greyed-purple inflorescence and good inflorescence branching. The new variety is a  Vriesea , typically produced as an indoor ornamental plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Vriesea hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘V800-1’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program. The new variety originated from a cross pollination of an, unpatented proprietary Vriesea hybrid seed parent referred to as ‘V612’ and the pollen parent, an unpatented, proprietary variety of Vriesea hybrid referred to as V286-1’. The crossing was made during March of 2001.

The new variety was discovered by the inventor, Herb Hill., a citizen of the United States, in March 2005 in a group of seedlings resulting from the crossing. The new cultivar was found in a research greenhouse in Lithia, Fla.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘V800-1’ was first performed at a commercial laboratory in Florida by tissue culture during March of 2007. During this time, no access to plants was available to the public. The first public access to the variety occurred August 2012. Subsequent propagation by tissue culture has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘V800-1’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘V800-1.’ These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘V800-1’ as a new and distinct Vriesea cultivar:

-   -   1. Good inflorescence branching.     -   2. Greyed-purple bract coloration     -   3. Dark green and red foliage.

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘V800-1’ are similar to the unpatented seed parent in most horticultural characteristics. The new variety however differs in the following characteristic:

-   -   1. ‘V800-1’ has a greyed-purple inflorescence whereas the seed         parent has a yellow, red and orange inflorescence.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘V800-1’ are similar to the pollen parent in most horticultural characteristics. The new variety however differs in the following characteristic:

-   -   1. ‘V800-1’ has a greyed-purple inflorescence whereas the pollen         parent has a dark red and yellow inflorescence.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

‘V800-1’ can be compared to the commercial variety of Vriesea known as ‘Cathy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,488). Plants of Vriesea ‘Cathy’ are similar to plants of ‘V800-1’ in most horticultural characteristics. However ‘V800-1’ differs from ‘Cathy’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. ‘V800-1’ is a larger plant than ‘Cathy’.     -   2. ‘V800-1’ produces a larger inflorescence, with more branching         than ‘Cathy’.     -   3. Plants of ‘V800-1’ produce leaves that are dark green with         red, whereas leaves of ‘Cathy’ are green.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color a typical plant of ‘V800-1’ grown in a greenhouse in De Kwakel, the Netherlands. This plant is approximately 20 months old, shown in an 12 cm. pot. The photograph was taken using conventional techniques and although colors may appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 2001, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘V800-1’ plants grown in a climate controlled greenhouse in De Kwakel, the Netherlands. Temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 22° C. at night to 20° C. to 28° C. during the day. No artificial light, photoperiodic or chemical treatments were given to the plants. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Vriesea hybrid ‘V800-1’.

PROPAGATION

-   Type of propagation typically used: Tissue culture. -   Time to initiate roots: About 15 days at approximately 20° C. -   Time to produce a rooted cutting/liner: About 180 days at     approximately 22° C. -   Root description: Moderately dense, moderately branched, fine,     fibrous, not fleshy, colored near RHS Greyed-Orange 163C.

PLANT

-   Height: Approximately: 37.1 cm. -   Plant spread: Approximately: 33.6 cm. -   Normal pot size: 12 cm pot. -   Growth rate: Moderate. -   Branching characteristics: Monopodial, leaves form a basal rosette,     inflorescence grows from the center of the rosette. No stem present. -   Number of leaves per scape: Average: 36.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:     -   -   Arrangement.—Rosulate (in a basal rosette).         -   Average length.—Approximately 19.6 cm.         -   Average width.—Approximately 4.0 cm.         -   Shape of blade.—Ligulate.         -   Aspect.—Leaves in an average angle of 45° to vertical (=0°).         -   Apex.—Abruptly acute, tip pointed downward 45°             (horizontal=0°).         -   Base.—Decurrent. Sheath length: Average 5.5 cm. Sheath             width: Average 7.0 cm. Sheath color: Upper side grey; near             RHS 201A, tinged greyed-purple; near RHS N187C, under side             grey; near RHS 201A, tinged greyed-purple; near RHS N187A.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture of top surface.—Smooth, very glossy.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—Smooth, very glossy.         -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Green to yellow-green; in             between near RHS 143A and 144A but darker, tinged             greyed-purple at the apex; near RHS 186C. Young foliage             under side: Yellow-green; near RHS 146B, tinged brown             towards the apex; near RHS 200A. Mature foliage upper side:             Yellow-green; near RHS 147A but darker, apex greyed-purple;             near RHS 186C. Mature foliage under side: Yellow-green; in             between near RHS 146A and 147A but darker.         -   Venation.—Type: Parallel. Venation coloration:             Indistinguishable from leaf blade. -   Petiole: No petioles present, leaves sheathing.

INFLORESCENCE

-   General description: Scape growing from the center of the basal     rosette, inflorescence branched into a paniculate shape; only bracts     visible, individual flowers not visible but fully enclosed by     bracts.     -   -   Inflorescence height, excluding scape.—Approximately 19.9             cm.         -   Inflorescence width.—Approximately 12.5 cm. -   Scape:     -   -   Length.—Approximately 22.7 cm.         -   Width.—Approximately 0.6 cm.         -   Aspect.—Approximately 90° angle to rosette (=0°).         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Color.—Greyed-purple; near RHS 183B. -   Bracts:     -   -   Scape/lowermost bracts.—Shape: Ovate. Length: Approximately             2.4 cm, excluding sheath. Width: Approximately 1.8 cm.             Quantity: Average 10. Tip: Apiculate. Base: Sheathing.             Sheath length: Approximately 3.7 cm. Sheath width:             Approximately 2.4 cm. Sheath color: Greyed-red; near RHS             182B. Margin: Entire. Color Upperside: Yellow-green; near             RHS 146B, apex greyed-purple; near N186C. Color Underside:             Greyed-purple; near 187B, tinged yellow-green towards the             top; 147A, apex greyed-purple; near N186C.         -   Terminal bracts.—Shape: Ovate, folded (flattened). Length:             Approximately 2.0 cm, excluding sheath. Width: Approximately             2.6 cm; however, bracts are folded, so effectively it is two             times 1.3 cm. Quantity: Average 55. Tip: Apiculate. Base:             Sheathing. Sheath length: Approximately 2.0 cm. Sheath             width: Approximately 2.8 cm; however, bracts are folded, so             effectively it is two times 1.4 cm. Sheath color:             Greyed-purple; near RHS 187C. Margin: Entire. Coloration             Terminal Bracts: Upperside: Greyed-purple; near RHS 187A to             187B. Underside: Greyed-purple; near RHS 187A to 187B.

FLOWER

-   Flowering characteristics: Individual flowers fully enclosed by the     bracts and therefore not visible from outside; each bract encloses     one individual flower. -   Days to flowering (better is: to commercial plant) from tissue     culture: 2 to 2.5 years. -   Inflorescence and flower type and habit: Inflorescence paniculate,     individual flower single. -   Flower longevity on plant: Average: 3 months. -   Quantity of buds and flowers per plant: Average: 55. -   Persistent or self-cleaning: Persistent. -   Bud:     -   -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Length.—Average: 1.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—Average: 0.3 cm.         -   Color.—Yellow-green; near RHS 150B, base lighter, near RHS             Greyed-Purple 184C. -   Flower size:     -   -   Diameter.—Average: 0.4 cm.         -   Depth.—Average: 2.6 cm. -   Petals:     -   -   Quantity.—Average: 3.         -   Arrangement.—Rotate, fused.         -   Length.—Average: 1.5 cm.         -   Width.—Average: 0.4 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate, fused.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate, fused.         -   Margin.—Fused.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, slightly glossy.         -   Color.—When opening, upper surface: Yellow; near RHS 4C, tip             darker; 5B. When opening, lower surface: Yellow; near RHS             4C, tip darker; 5B. Fully opened, upper surface: Yellow;             near RHS 4C, tip darker; 5B. Fully opened, lower surface:             Yellow; near RHS 4C, tip darker; 5B. -   Staminoides: None present. -   Sepals:     -   -   Quantity.—Average: 3.         -   Length.—Average: 2.6 cm.         -   Width.—Average: 0.5 cm.         -   Shape (overall).—Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate,             fused.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Color.—Yellow; near RHS 11C, darker towards the top; 11A. -   Peduncles:     -   -   Length.—Average: 5.2 cm.         -   Diameter.—Average: 0.4 cm.         -   Angle.—About 45° to the lateral branch.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glossy.         -   Color.—Greyed-purple; near RHS 184B. -   Fragrance: None.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

-   Stamens:     -   -   Number.—Average: 6. -   Anthers:     -   -   Shape.—Narrow oblong.         -   Length.—Approximately 0.6 cm.         -   Color.—Yellow; near RHS 8B.         -   Pollen.—No pollen detected. -   Pistil:     -   -   Number.—Average: 3.         -   Length.—Average: 0.5 cm.         -   Style.—Length: Average: 0.4 cm. Color: Yellow-white; near             RHS 158D.         -   Stigma.—Shape: Club-shaped. Color: Yellow-green; near RHS             149D. Ovary Color: Yellow-white; near RHS 158D.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Disease resistance: Neither resistance nor susceptibility to the     normal diseases and pests of Vriesea has been observed. -   Drought tolerance and cold tolerance: Observed to tolerate     temperatures to 35° C. without any negative effects. Temperature     tolerance above this range has not been observed. Tolerance of cold     temperatures has not been observed. -   Fruit/seed production: Not observed to date. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Vriesea plant named ‘V800-1’ as herein illustrated and described. 